Sagepoint Senor Living participates in pilot online Alzheimer’s training program

Sagepoint Senior Living Services in La Plata announced that as part of its commitment to providing excellent care for people living with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia, the staff is participating in an online CARES dementia training pilot program and will earn the Alzheimer’s Association’s “essentiALZ” and “essentiALZ Plus” certifications.

According to a news release, the nonprofit organization will post its progress toward employee participation goals in the main lobby.

The goal of the pilot program from the state Alzheimer’s Council is to determine the feasibility of online training to enhance knowledge in and adoption of dementia care best practices in Maryland. Sagepoint Senior Living Services is the first nursing community in Maryland to participate in this program.

Staff will complete 10 modules of education which cover dementia basics (Alzheimer’s and dementia, understanding behavior, communication, and person-centered care) and advanced dementia care (making a connection, eating well, recognizing pain, minimizing falls, rethinking wandering, and minimizing and eliminating restraints).

“With the CARES online dementia training program, we seek to offer training with a focus on person-centered dementia care. We are looking at all employees to participate in this endeavor,” said registered nurse Hope Dweik, Sagepoint’s staff educator. “As the first skilled nursing community in Maryland to participate in this pilot program, we are helping to pave the way for cutting-edge levels of dementia care for residents in long-term care, assisted living, and rehabilitation communities.”